When I did my shopping yesterday I picked up the expression "South beach diet". Unfortunately I didn't get any further information and I don't know at all what kind of diet this is. Does anybody know anything about this way of losing weight? It would be great to find out more about it. Thanks for your help!
South beach diet
- Thread starter Jane1975
- Start date
Health magazine has a diet guide that gives you the lowdown on most fad diets
While the South Beach Diet is lumped together with other low-carb plans, it takes a decidedly different and healthier approach to protein and fat. Agatston contends that weight loss is just one of the priorities of the diet (the other is healthful levels of cholesterol and other blood fats). As with other low-carb diets, it’s questionable if the restrictive first phase really banishes carb cravings and is truly safe. So perhaps dieters can jump headfirst into phase two.
Does the diet take and keep weight off? No clinical data. There are no independent trials that look at the success of the diet alone or compare it with other popular plans. However, Agatston has his own study with 40 overweight volunteers. Dieters were randomized to either South Beach or the American Heart Association Step 2 diet. At the 12-week point, South Beach dieters lost nearly 14 pounds, or about twice as much as the AHA dieters.
Is the diet healthy? Phase one is too restrictive. But phase two and the maintenance phase promote healthful fats, lean proteins, and complex carbs, albeit a smaller percentage of them.
What do the experts say? “It’s one of the more sensible of the low-carb diets,” says John Foreyt, PhD, a well-known weight-loss researcher t Baylor College of Medicine. “If you pick and choose carefully in the later phase, you can make a sensible eating plan out of it. The problem with it, of course, is that there is no data on the long-term results on whether it keeps weight off.” Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, who has counseled patients at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute for five years, says she tells patients “not to read any of the theory part of the book or worry about glycemic index. It’s a bit convoluted,” she says. “But I do tell them to buy the book for its menu ideas, recipes, and cooking tips. There’s a great recipe for mashed cauliflower that is a good substitute for mashed potatoes.”
Who should consider the diet? Anyone wanting to try a somewhat safer version of low-carb dieting: Cooks, chefs, and dieters who appreciate good food will find lots of creative recipes here.
Bottom line: This is the best of the reduced-carb regimens. Its emphasis on healthful fats and lean sources of protein is laudable. The advice to eat three bites of a rich dessert (no more, no less) when you eat out is clever. On the other hand, forget the tip about filling up with a glass of Metamucil (fiber supplement) 15 minutes before mealtime. Eating high-fiber foods at the meal is a much better—and tastier—strategy.
While the South Beach Diet is lumped together with other low-carb plans, it takes a decidedly different and healthier approach to protein and fat. Agatston contends that weight loss is just one of the priorities of the diet (the other is healthful levels of cholesterol and other blood fats). As with other low-carb diets, it’s questionable if the restrictive first phase really banishes carb cravings and is truly safe. So perhaps dieters can jump headfirst into phase two.
Does the diet take and keep weight off? No clinical data. There are no independent trials that look at the success of the diet alone or compare it with other popular plans. However, Agatston has his own study with 40 overweight volunteers. Dieters were randomized to either South Beach or the American Heart Association Step 2 diet. At the 12-week point, South Beach dieters lost nearly 14 pounds, or about twice as much as the AHA dieters.
Is the diet healthy? Phase one is too restrictive. But phase two and the maintenance phase promote healthful fats, lean proteins, and complex carbs, albeit a smaller percentage of them.
What do the experts say? “It’s one of the more sensible of the low-carb diets,” says John Foreyt, PhD, a well-known weight-loss researcher t Baylor College of Medicine. “If you pick and choose carefully in the later phase, you can make a sensible eating plan out of it. The problem with it, of course, is that there is no data on the long-term results on whether it keeps weight off.” Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, who has counseled patients at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute for five years, says she tells patients “not to read any of the theory part of the book or worry about glycemic index. It’s a bit convoluted,” she says. “But I do tell them to buy the book for its menu ideas, recipes, and cooking tips. There’s a great recipe for mashed cauliflower that is a good substitute for mashed potatoes.”
Who should consider the diet? Anyone wanting to try a somewhat safer version of low-carb dieting: Cooks, chefs, and dieters who appreciate good food will find lots of creative recipes here.
Bottom line: This is the best of the reduced-carb regimens. Its emphasis on healthful fats and lean sources of protein is laudable. The advice to eat three bites of a rich dessert (no more, no less) when you eat out is clever. On the other hand, forget the tip about filling up with a glass of Metamucil (fiber supplement) 15 minutes before mealtime. Eating high-fiber foods at the meal is a much better—and tastier—strategy.
I didn't know this link. Thanks so much for telling me. It might be helpful for other people as well. Sometimes you just catch up a diet but you don't have any further information about it. But probably the diet guide of health.com will help a lot! Are there any other good pages which provide basic information about different kind of diets?
health's diet guide is probably the most comprehensive and the most honest I've seen... but google various diets.. and form your own opinion..
One of my friends also wants to start losing weight. She tried to find a good program, but unfortunately she got so confused by the information flood. There are so many different kinds. Well but then she read a short article about the south beach diet and she asked me for further information. Unfortunately I don't even know this kind of diet! Anyone could help?
will your "friend" listen?
a person doesn't need a commercial"program" what works - is consistency of using more calories than you take in....
Google is your friend when it comes to fad diets...
or the search feature onthis forum which would point you to this
But your "friend" needs to stop searching for quick fixes and work on fixing her mindset that she's ready to lose weight... and will do something about itr
a person doesn't need a commercial"program" what works - is consistency of using more calories than you take in....
Google is your friend when it comes to fad diets...
or the search feature onthis forum which would point you to this
But your "friend" needs to stop searching for quick fixes and work on fixing her mindset that she's ready to lose weight... and will do something about itr
02firehawk
New member
I tried south beach diet, wasn't that good trust me. I did a newer program that a personal trainer started online. Worked out great and it was way cheaper than that south beach crap. I wasted $60 on south beach. But hey, it's worth a shot I guess. I ended up losing over 35 pounds and it cost me around $300 of online program testing. The one that really worked for me was only $39.99 though, so I'm a happy camper. 
pennybear09
New member
My brother is a huge advocate of the south beach diet. He claims you lose weight by just breathing if you follow it completely, but he was a skinny punk to begin with and dropped about 30lbs. I took a look at his book but it's very restrictive and I just didn't have the dedication (or the money, really) to eat like it wants you to. My aunt also did it and said she had lost 8lbs in the first two weeks.
If you have the dedication, I'm sure it works. It seems to be made for long term use but you have to stick to it just like anything else, which tends to be the problem for most people.
If you have the dedication, I'm sure it works. It seems to be made for long term use but you have to stick to it just like anything else, which tends to be the problem for most people.
Thanks a lot for your statements. Well I don't think that such a diet would be that good for me, but maybe for her. So I am going to show your answers.
I think this forum is just great and people have already given so much advise to me. I will try to convince her to join us!
I think this forum is just great and people have already given so much advise to me. I will try to convince her to join us!